Dental impression bite



' Oct. 14, 1930. H. A. GALASSO DENTAL IMPRESSION BITE Filed July 20, 1-928 Patented Oct. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HUMBERT A. GALASSO, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 WILLIAM H.

i 1 EDWARDS, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK DENTAL IMPRESSION BITE Application filed July 20,

This invention relates to devices intended to be used by dentists to obtain an impression of the gums or of the outermost extremities of the teeth of a patient so that when the 5 artificial teeth made in accordance with the impression are inserted into the mouth of the patient, proper and accurate occlusion is obtained.

Difliculty has heretofore been experienced in practicing the methods heretofore customarily used in aligning artificial teeth to occlude accurately, for the reason that the wax impression formerly made to determine the bite or occlusion of the teeth has necessarily been inaccurate, due to unavoidable deformation of the wax impression. The customary practice has been to make a plaster impression, of the teeth and gums at the places where artificial teeth are to be insert ed, and then in addition, to make a wax impression of the teeth to be bridged to deter mine the bite. To strengthen the impression or mold in so far as possible, a comparatively thick piece of wax has heretofore been used to obtain the impression of the bite. Such a thick wax member is so squeezed by the teeth of the patient that the wax is forced about the upright faces of the teeth, and an impression taken of practically the entire tooth. Where the teeth are irregular, and the surfaces inclined in certain directions, a true impression of the bite is not retained for the reason that the soft wax member, when removed fromthe teeth is deformed by the irregular surfaces of the teeth,

especially if the teeth are undercut. Furthermore, the wax impression member in such cases is often so held by the teeth that it cannot be removed without injuring the impressions and when forced off the teeth, stresses are put on the member which distorts the impression. A further disadvantage is that the wax must be comparatively soft to give a proper impression, whereby the handling in the various operations necessary in making the artificial teeth, distorts the wax impression member and results in artificial teeth whichdo not properly occlude.

'T'Mechanical dentists, therefore, to avoid these difficulties in so faras possible, must 1928. Serial No. 294,162.

cut away much of the wax impression of the tooth so as to leave the impression in the wax of only the extreme outer portion of the teeth. Even by so cutting away the wax impression member, distortion of said member may occur in handling and cutting with the consequent disadvantages above mentioned.

My invention contemplates the provision of a wax impression member so designed as to give the impression of the bite of the patient only. The greater part of said member is made of comparatively hard material and is suitably reinforced, to avoid the danger of deformation thereof during the process of making and articulating the teeth. The various objects of my invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my improved impression member designed for use where there aresome teeth in the patients mouth.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the same as it appears after the impression or bite of a patients teeth has been taken.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of my invention, adapted to be used where there are no teeth in either or both jaws of the patient.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the same,

Fig. '7 is a perspective view, partly in section,'of part of a patients mouth showing how my improved impression member may be used, and Fig. 8 is a similar view of a modified formof said member.

In that practical embodiment of my invention which I have illustrated, I prefer to use an impression member which is made up partly of hard and comparatively unimpressionable wax, and partly of soft wax adapted to take the impression.

Where the upper and lower jaws of the patient both contain some teeth, I prefer to use that form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, though it will be understood that the length and curvature of the member there illustrated may be greatly varied, depending upon the number of teeth and the spacing of the teeth in the mouth of the patient. In this form, I prefer to provide two layers 10 and 11 of comparatively soft wax, arranged on the outer faces of the member and exposed thereon. Said layers are separated by the layer 12 0f comparatively hard wax, adepression as 13 being preferably formed on each face. of the hard wax layer for the reception of the layers 10 and 11. Said layer 12 of hard wax will therefore be comparatively'thickat the edges and thin at the remainder thereof, whereby the entire member is braced and made resistant to deformation under a comparatively wide stretch of temperatures and under the stresses due to handling. r

The member is used by placing it between the two jaws of the patient, for him to bite upon until theteeth come together as far as they can. It will beunderstood that the wax may be v somewhat heated in the Customary manner before insertion in the patients mouth so that no difiicultywill beexperienced in biting through the soft layers 10 and 11. Asthe' hard layer 12 is reached, however, a greater resistance is oifered to the bite of the'patient but said-layer 12 being comparatively' thin, thoseteeth of the patient which would naturally meet inthe mouth out' through said layer 12' a suflicient distance to show precisely how the teeth are spaced vertically andhorizontally, thereby enabling the dentist to determine the proper occlusion with accuracy and precision;

It will be further understood that while the layer 12 is resistant todeformation, the bite of the patient puts such stress upon the member as to cause said member to be deformed to correspond with the teeth of the patient. Before the removal of the impression member from the mouth, cold water is poured on the member to set the softened wax, the layers of wax and particularly, the layer 12 then becoming sufliciently hard to prevent deformation under ordinary'handling and temperatures. 1

The usual plaster impression having been taken of the mouth, the dentist may use my improved impression member to determine the'proper occlusion of the teeth. Since impressions only of the outermost extremities of the teeth are taken, there is no-material to interfere with the fitting of my improved memberupon the plaster cast of the teeth of" the jawto be supplied -withartificial teeth. Said member may therefore be fitted upon-the plaster cast and asuitable cast made of the outermost portions of the teeth in theopposing jaw by pouring plaster into the cavities on the opposite side of the: wax impression member Saidmember may then be'cut or molten away and the plaster cast set'i'n an articulator so that the positions and heights oft heine'eded teeth and the occlusion-thereofmay'be accurately determined.

It will be seen' that all of the "Variations of the extremities of the teeth are faithfully molded into the impression member, particularly when it is heated and because of its comparatively thin structure. No deformation due to the obstruction ofiered by undercut or irregular teeth occurs, when i the member is removed from the mouth of the patient, such as would ordinarily occur if the present type of comparatively thick impression member were used. Itwill also be seen that due to'the layer 12 of comparatively hard wax, no deformation of the member occurs under the stress put upon the of about the height desired for the artificial 1::

teeth, and composed substantially throughout of hard wax with preferably a single layer of softwax as'16 thereon. If desired, said member 15 may be additionally braced and supported against deformation as by means of the wire 17' imbe'dded therein. This form ofmy invention isintended to be used where there are no teeth at all in either or both jaws. In that case, the member 15 is arranged with the layer 16 of soft wax ad jacent t e gum and the impressionor bite of the gum is made. Where there are no teeth in both jaws, two of such members 15 are placed together with the'surfaces 18 thereof in contact so thatimpressions of both gums may be taken'simultaneouslyi It will beunderstood that ii"- therearenoteeth in one aw and some teeth 1n the other, the member 15 is used in connection -w1th the mem-' ber shown in Figs. 1 to a inclusive. It will also be understood that the member 15 may be supplied to dentistsso that the dentist may spread a layer of soft wax on'the face 18 to obtain the bite where there are some teeth in one jaw. It will further be understood that the surfaces 18 of the members 15 being of hard wax, may easily be trimmed'with a knife so that saidsurfaces may properly meet in the mouth of the patient throughout the whole'length thereof; where twosuch memhers are used. If only one member 15is used,

then the surface 18 of the member 15 may be trimmedto properly meet the teeth of the aatient remainin in the other 'aw. l 2-3 Referring to Fig. 8, I have shown a concave greater accuracy. 'The extremities of the gums seldom lie in a plane and for that reason, that member 15 which has a comparatively fiat wax layer might not contact with certain parts of the gums. By concaving the layer 19 as shown, however, this difficulty is avoided so that contact is made throughout the entire extremities of the gums and a good bite obtained.

It will be seen that I have provided an improved wax impression member sufficiently resistant to deformation before and after impressions have been made therein to meet the severe requirements of practical use; that my improved n ember, being so designed as not to take in the impressions of the undercuts or inclined surfaces of the teeth, cannot be defo med when removed from the mouth and that said member is further designed so that the precise occlusion of the teeth may be easily and accurately determined.

lVhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it

will be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention so that I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise structure herein shown and described, but intend to claim my invention as broadly as may be permitted by the state of the prior art and the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an article of manufacture for use at room temperatures without heating as an impression member for taking the full bite of an upper or lower jaw in which there are no teeth, a thin and comparatively wide outer layer of soft wax, soft enough at room tem peratures to take impressions of the extreme end only of the gum of a patient, a hard wax supporting member having a groove on one surface thereof in which said thin layer of soft wax is maintained, said member being performed into approximately U-shape and substantially square in cross-section, the surface of said member opposite the soft wax layer being adapted to be trimmed to height to engage the corresponding surface of a similar member or the teeth of the other jaw of the patient, and the front and back of said member being adapted to be trimmed to the lip and face line.

2. In an article of manufacture for use in taking the full bite of an upper or lower jaw in which there are no teeth, without change in the shape thereof except trimming as hereinafter mentioned, a comparatively hard wax supporting member having a depression in one face thereof and substantially flat on the opposite face thereof, and having substantially parallel front and back cylindrical walls, said faces being spaced apart a distance substantially equal to tooth height and the front and back walls being substantially parallel and similarly spaced, said flat surface, front and back walls being adapted to be trimmed to engage the ends of the teeth of the other jaw of the patient or the corresponding surface of a similar member, and a thin layer of comparatively soft wax in said depression.

3. In an article of manufacture for use at room temperatures as an impression member for taking the full bite of an upper or lower jaw, a thin and comparatively Wide outer layer of soft wax adapted to engage the gum of one jaw of a patient to receive impressions of the outermost extremities of said gum only, and a substantially U-shaped hard wax supporting member preformed to its final shape and having a depression on one face thereof for the reception of said layer of soft wax and of substantially tooth height, said supporting member being sufliciently soft to be trimmed to space the surface opposite the depression from the gum of the other jaw at tooth height therefrom and substantially parallel thereto.

4. In an article of manufacture for use at room temperatures without heating as an impression member, to take the full continuous bite of an upper or lower jaw in which there are no teeth, a hard wax annular body member preshaped to approximately fit the alveolar ridge, said member being of substantially tooth height and having a substantially fiat surface on one face thereof and a depression on the opposite face thereof and substantially parallel, cylindrical front and back walls, and being adapted to be trimmed on said walls and said flat surface to extend to a height not greater than that sufficient to meet the teeth in the other jaw where there are teeth or to meet a corresponding face of a similar member inserted in the other jaw, and a thin and comparatively wide layer of soft wax maintained in said depression, said soft wax bein softer than that of said member and soft enough to take impressions at room temperatures.

HUMBERT A. GALASSO. 

